Kutengapo Phunziro pa Mphika wa Mafuta

Zinthu zina zapaubwana zimene ndimakumbukira ndizo nkhanza ya nkhondo, makamaka ija yothaŵa kupulumutsa miyoyo yathu kumapeto kwa Nkhondo Yadziko II, pamene ndinali ndi zaka zinayi zokha. Banja lathu la anthu asanu ndi aŵiri linali kukhala ku East Prussia, amene panthaŵiyo anali chigawo cha Germany.

NDINAYANG’ANA mwachidwi mumdima wandiweyani, kwinaku ndikumvetsera kulira kwa ndege za nkhondo za Russia zimene zinali kubwera. Mwadzidzidzi, panaoneka kuŵala kothobwa m’maso ndiyenso panamveka kuphulika kogonthetsa m’kutu, kenako matanki osungiramo mafuta chapafupipo analilima. Sitima ya pamtunda yomwe tinalimo inandenguma panjanji, ndipo anthu analira kwambiri. Koma posakhalitsa ndegezo zinapita, ndipo tinapitiriza ndi ulendo wathu.

Nthaŵi ina ndinadzuka m’tulo todukizadukiza kuti ndione mayi wina yemwe anali kulira kwambiri akumayesa kulumphira kunja kuchoka m’ngolo ya ng’ombe yomwe tinalimo. Atate anamgwira namkokera mkati. Mayiyo anali atagona pafupi ndi khomo, mwana wake ali m’manja. Atadzuka, anapeza kuti mwana uja wauma gwa, atafa ndi kuzizira. Ndiyeno amuna omwe analimo anaponyera mtembowo kunja pachipale chofeŵa, ndipo atagwidwa chisoni mayiyo, anayesa kutsegula chitseko kuti alumphire kunja nafere limodzi ndi mwana wakeyo.

Pofuna kuti m’ngolo yathu ya ng’ombe musazizire kwambiri, anaika chitofu chachikulu pakati pake. Pankhuni zochepa zomwe zinalipo kumbali inayo, anali kutengapo pang’onopang’ono zophikira mbatata. Matumba a mbatatazo ndiwo amenenso tinali kugonapo poti kuteroko kunali kutitetezera ku matabwa ozizira a pansi pa ngolo.

Nanga nchifukwa ninji tinali kuthaŵa kuti tipulumutse miyoyo yathu? Kodi banja lathu linapulumuka bwanji miyezi yambiri monga othaŵa? Lekani ndikuuzeni.

Ndinabadwa Myuda

Ndinabadwa pa December 22, 1940 ku Lyck, East Prussia (tsopano Elk, Poland)—wamng’ono pa ana asanufe. Kuzunzidwa pazifukwa za chipembedzo kunakakamiza makolo anga achiyuda kuchoka ku Germany kumapeto kwa zaka za m’ma 1700. Anasamukira ku Russia paulendo wosamuka anthu ambiri koposa m’mbiri. Ndiyeno, mu 1917, pothaŵa chizunzo pa Ayuda ku Russia panthaŵiyo, agogo anga aamuna pokhala Myuda anasamukira ku East Prussia kuchoka kumudzi kwawo pafupi ndi mtsinje wa Volga.

Agogowo anakhala nzika ya Germany, ndipo East Prussia anaoneka ngati malo achisungiko. Aja amene maina awo oyamba anali achiyuda anasintha maina awowo kutenga achiaryani. Choncho, atate, a Friedrich Salomon, anakhala a Fritz. Koma Amayi anali a ku Prussia. Iwowo ndi Atate, omwe anali woimba, anakwatirana mu 1929.

Moyo kwa makolo anga unali wosangalatsa ndipo zinthu zinaoneka ngati zidzayendabe bwino mtsogolo. Agogo aakazi a Fredericke ndi amayi awo a Wilhelmine anali ndi famu yaikulu ndithu, imene inali ngati mudzi wachiŵiri kwa makolo anga ndi anafe. M’banja lathu tinali kukonda nyimbo kwambiri. Amayi anali kuliza ng’oma m’gulu la Atate loimba.

Dziko Litengedwa ndi Anazi

Mu 1939, ndale zinayamba kuipa. Njira imene Adolf Hitler anati njomaliza kuthetsera vuto la Ayuda inayamba kusautsa makolo anga. Anafe sitinali kudziŵa kuti ndife Ayuda, ndipo sitinadziŵebe zimenezo kufikira imfa ya Amayi mu 1978—patapita zaka zisanu ndi zinayi kuchokera pa imfa ya Atate.

Kuti munthu aliyense asadziŵe kuti Atate anali Ayuda, iwo analoŵa m’Gulu la Nkhondo la Germany. Poyamba, anali m’gulu la oimba. Komabe, wina wake amene anadziŵa za iwo anaulula kuti iwo ndi Ayuda, choncho banja lathu lonse linafunsidwa mafunso ndi kutengedwa zithunzi. Akatswiri achinazi anayesetsa kuona ngati tinali ndi maonekedwe achiyuda. Mwamwaŵi, sanatigwire kapena kutiponya m’ndende, ndiyesa iwo mosakayika anationa ngati a Aryani.

Pamene Germany anatenga Poland pa September 1, 1939, mantha anagwira dera lathu lomwe kale linali pamtendere. Amayi anafuna kuti tichoke nthaŵi yomweyo, koma akuluakulu a Nazi analetsa kuti banja lathu lichoke. Ndiyeno, pamene magulu a nkhondo a Russia anayamba kubwera kulinga ku East Prussia m’chilimwe cha 1944, Ajeremani anayamba kusamutsa anthu ku Lyck ndi madera ena apafupi. Tsiku lina m’July, anatipatsa maola asanu ndi limodzi okha ochokera panyumba pathu.

Namtindi wa Anthu Atuluka Chothamanga

Amayi anatangwanika. Atenge chiyani? Tipite kuti? Tiyenda bwanji? Kodi tidzabweranso? Banja lililonse linalibe zambiri zoti linyamule. Amayi mwanzeru anasankha zinthu zofunika—kuphatikizapo mphika waukulu wa mafuta a nyama ya ng’ombe ndiponso mizongo ya nyama ya nkhumba—zimene tinakhoza kunyamula bwino zokha. Mabanja ena anasankha kutenga chuma chawo chapamtima.

Pa October 22, 1944, magulu a nkhondo a Russia analoŵa mu East Prussia. Wolemba wina anafotokoza kuti: “Zinali zosadabwitsa kuti asilikali a Russia amene poyamba anaona mabanja awo akuphedwa ndiponso nyumba zawo ndi mbewu zawo zikutenthedwa anafuna kubwezera.” Kusakazako kunadzetsa mantha mu East Prussia yense, ndipo anthu anangoti balalabalala, kuthaŵa.

Panthaŵiyo ife tinali othaŵa kwawo, tikumakhala kumadzulo kwenikweni kwa East Prussia. Nthaŵiyo zimaoneka kuti njira yokha yothaŵira ndiyo kudzera ku nyanja ya Baltic, chotero anthu anathaŵira kumzinda wa Danzig (Gdansk tsopano, Poland) kumene kunali doko. Kumeneko, kunali zombo zoyembekeza kupulumutsa anthu. Banja lathu linaphonya sitima ya pamtunda imene inayenera kutipereka kukakwera chombo cha Germany cha aulendo cha Wilhelm Gustloff, chimene chinachoka ku Gdynia, pafupi ndi Danzig, pa January 30, 1945. Pambuyo pake tinadzamva kuti mabomba a m’madzi oponyedwa ndi Arasha anachiphulitsa chombocho, kuchimiza, ndipo aulendo ngati 8,000 anafa m’madzi ozizira kwambiri.

Pokhala kuti njira yothaŵira kudzera kunyanja inatsekedwa, tinalinga kumadzulo. Pamene Atate anali patchuti chakanthaŵi pantchito yausilikali, anatsagana nafe mbali yoyamba ya ulendo wathu wa pasitima ya pamtunda, zimene ndafotokoza poyamba. Posakhalitsa anabwerera kuntchito yawo yausilikali, ndipo ife tinapitiriza ndi ulendo wathu wautali ndi woopsa tili tokha. Amayi anasunga mphika uja wa mafuta, ndipo anali kutipungulirako pang’ono patapita nthaŵi. Mafutawo anathandiza kwambiri kuwonjezera pa takudya tilitonse tomwe tinapeza m’njira, kutisunga amoyo panyengo yaitali ya chisanu chozizira kwambiri. Mphika wa mafuta umenewo unakhala wofunika kwambiri kuposa golidi kapena siliva aliyense!

Pomaliza, tinafika m’tauni ya Stargard, kumene asilikali achijeremani ndi a bungwe losamala ovulala la Red Cross anali atakhazikitsa khichini yophika supu pafupi ndi siteshoni ya sitima ya pamtunda. Kwa mwana wanjala yofa nayo, supu ameneyo anali wokoma. Patapita nthaŵi, tinafika ku Hamburg, Germany, anjala ndi ofooka, koma okondwa pokhala amoyo. Tinapatsidwa malo pafamu ina yake pafupi ndi mtsinje wa Elbe, pamodzi ndi asilikali andende a ku Russia ndi ku Poland. Pamene nkhondo ku Ulaya inatha pa May 8, 1945, moyo wathu unafika poipa.

Moyo Wothaŵa Kwathu

Atate anagwidwa ndi Aamereka, ndipo anawasamala bwino, makamaka atadziŵa kuti iwo anali woimba. Chifukwa cha luso lawo la nyimbo, anawagwiritsira ntchito pokumbukira Tsiku lawo la Ufulu Wodzilamulira. Sipanapite nthaŵi pamene atate anathaŵa nabwera ku Hamburg, ndipo tinasangalala kuonananso. Tinakakhala m’kanyumba kakang’ono, ndipo posapita nthaŵi agogo athu aakazi onse aŵiri anafika mwamtendere ndipo tinayamba kukhalira limodzi.

Koma patapita nthaŵi, anthu akumaloko, kuphatikizapo Tchalitchi chathu cha Lutheran, anayamba kuda anthu ambiri othaŵa kwawo. Tsiku lina madzulo mbusa anadzacheza kwathu. Ndikhulupirira anatiputira dala mwa kunena mawu onyoza okhudza mkhalidwe wathu monga othaŵa kwawo. Atate, omwenso anali ojintcha, anakwiya nafuna kummenya mlalikiyo. Amayi ndi azigogo athu anawaletsa Atate. Komabe iwo anamnyamula m’mwamba mtsogoleri wachipembedzo ameneyo, kumpititsa kukhomo, namkankhira kunja. Kuyambira pamenepo sanalole aliyense kulankhula zachipembedzo panyumba pawo.

Zimenezo zitangochitika, Atate anapeza ntchito kukampani yachijeremani ya sitima za pamtunda ndipo tinasamukira kumlaga wa Hamburg, kumene tinakakhala m’ngolo ina ya sitima yosagwira ntchito. Pambuyo pake, Atate anamanga nyumba yotikwanira. Koma anthu anapitiriza kudana ndi othaŵa kwawo, ndipo pokhala mwana, ana akumaloko anayamba kumandimenya ndi kumandisereula.

Chipembedzo Chimene Banja Lathu Linasankha

Monga mwana, ndinali kugona m’chipinda chimodzi ndi azigogo anga aŵiri aakazi aja. Ngakhale kuti Atate anali kuletsa, onse aŵiriwo anali kundiuza za Mulungu, kundiimbira nyimbo, ndi kundiŵerengera mabaibulo awo pamene Atate kunalibe. Njala yanga yauzimu inakula. Chotero, nditakwanitsa zaka khumi, ndinayamba kumayenda mtunda wa makilomita ngati 11 popita kutchalitchi ndi pobwerako Lamlungu lililonse. Koma kukuuzani chilungamo, ndinakhumudwa kwambiri pamene mafunso anga ambiri omwe ndinkafunsa sanayankhidwe mokhutiritsa.

Ndiyeno, mu 1951 panyengo ya chilimwe, mwamuna wina wovala bwino anagogoda pakhomo pathu nasonyeza Amayi kope la magazini ya Nsanja ya Olonda. “Nsanja ya Olonda imafotokoza za Ufumu wa Mulungu,” anatero. Mtima wanga unanyamuka, pakuti ndi zomwezo zomwe ndinali kufuna. Amayi anakana mwanzeru, ndikhulupirira chifukwa chakuti Atate sanali kufuna zachipembedzo. Komabe, ndinawachonderera kwambiri koti anavomera nandiwombolera kopelo. Pambuyo pake, Ernest Hibbing anabweranso nasiya buku lakuti “Mulungu Akhale Woona.”

Panthaŵiyi, Atate anapezeka m’ngozi kuntchito nathyoka mwendo. Chifukwa cha zimenezo anali kungokhala panyumba, ndipo zinawakwiyitsa kwambiri. Ngakhale kuti mwendo wawo wonse unali m’pulasitala, anali kuyenda chotsimphina. Tinali kudabwa kuti masana iwo anali kusoŵa, koma nkumaonekera pachakudya pokha. Zinatero mlungu wonse wathunthu. Ndinapeza kuti Atate atasoŵa, ndi buku langa lomwe linali kusoŵa. Ndiyeno, tsiku lina pachakudya Atate anandiuza kuti: “Munthu uja akabweranso, ndifuna kudzamuona!”

Mbale Hibbing atafika, Atate anatidabwitsa pamene anamenyetsa bukulo pathebulo nati: “Bukuli likunena zoona!” Mosataya nthaŵi phunziro la Baibulo linayambika, ndipo m’kupita kwa nthaŵi ena pabanja lathu anayambanso kuphunzira. Mbale Hibbing anakhala phungu wanga wodalirika ndiponso bwenzi langa lenileni. Posakhalitsa anandipitikitsa ku Sande sukulu chifukwa chofuna kuuza ena zikhulupiriro zanga zatsopanozo. Chotero ndinachoka m’Tchalitchi cha Lutheran.

Mu July 1952, ndinayamba kupitira limodzi ndi bwenzi langa lapamtimalo kukalalikira uthenga wabwino wa Ufumu wa Mulungu kunyumba ndi nyumba. Lamlungu lililonse, Mbale Hibbing anali kundiuza kumvetsetsa mmene anali kulalikira kwa eni nyumba. Patapita milungu ingapo, anandisonyeza mdadada wa nyumba zambiri nati: “Nyumba zonsezo nzako kuti ugwiremo ntchito wekha.” M’kupita kwa nthaŵi, mantha anga anatha ndipo ndinakhoza kulankhula ndi anthu ndi kuwagaŵira mabuku a Baibulo.

Posakhalitsa, ndinayenerera ubatizo kusonyeza kudzipatulira kwanga kwa Yehova. Ineyo ndi Atate tinabatizidwa pa March 29, 1953, ndipo pambuyo pake chaka chomwecho Amayinso anabatizidwa. Pomaliza pake, onse m’banja lathu, kuphatikizapo mlongo wanga Erika; abale anga Heinz, Herbert, ndi Werner; ndipo azigogo athu okondeka, amene panthaŵiyo onse aŵiri anali ndi zaka za m’ma 80, anabatizidwa. Kenako, mu January 1959, ndinakhala mpainiya, mmene timatchera atumiki anthaŵi zonse.

Utumiki m’Dziko Latsopano

Nthaŵi zonse Atate anali kundilimbikitsa kuchoka ku Germany, ndipo ndikamakumbukira ndimaganiza kuti anatero chifukwa cha nkhaŵa yawo yosatha ponena za chidani chomwe anthu anali nacho pa Ayuda. Ndinafunsira kuboma kuti ndisamukire ku Australia, ndikumayembekeza kuti imeneyi idzakhala njira yoloŵera umishonale ku Papua New Guinea kapena ku chisumbu china cha ku Pacific. Ineyo ndi mbale wanga Werner tinafikira limodzi ku Melbourne, Australia, pa July 21, 1959.

Patapita milungu ingapo, ndinakumana ndi Melva Peters, amene anali mtumiki wanthaŵi zonse mu Mpingo wa Footscray, ndipo tinakwatirana mu 1960. Tinadala pokhala ndi ana aŵiri aakazi, amenenso anafika pakumkonda Yehova Mulungu ndi kupatulira miyoyo yawo kwa iye. Tayesetsa kukhala ndi moyo wosafuna zambiri kotero kuti monga banja tithe kusumika bwino maganizo athu pa zolinga zauzimu. Kwa zaka zambiri, Melva anali mpainiya kufikira pamene kufooka kwa thanzi kunamletsa kupitiriza. Pano ndine mkulu ndiponso mpainiya m’Mpingo wa Belconnen, mumzinda wa Canberra.

Pa zimene ndinakumana nazo paubwana, ndinaphunzirapo kukhala wachimwemwe ndiponso wokhutira ndi zogaŵira za Yehova. Malinga ndi mphika uja wa mafuta wa Amayi, ndafika pozindikira kuti moyo sumadalira pa golidi kapena siliva, koma zinthu zingapo zakuthupi zofunika kwenikweni ndipo, makamaka kuphunzira Mawu a Mulungu, Baibulo, ndiponso kutsatira zimene limaphunzitsa.—Mateyu 4:4.

Mawu atanthauzo a Mariya, amayi ake a Yesu, ngoona zedi akuti: “[Yehova] anawakhutitsa anjala ndi zinthu zabwino, ndipo eni chuma anawachotsa opanda kanthu.” (Luka 1:53) Ndine wokondwa kuti m’banja lathu muli anthu 47 amene akuyenda panjira ya choonadi cha Baibulo, kuphatikizapo adzukulu asanu ndi aŵiri. (3 Yohane 4) Limodzi ndi ameneŵa, ndiponso ana athu ndi adzukulu auzimu ambiri, ineyo ndi Melva tikuyembekezera mtsogolo mwabwino mosungika posamalidwa ndi Yehova mwachifundo ndiponso kudzaonananso ndi okondedwa pamene adzaukitsidwa.—Yosimbidwa ndi Kurt Hahn.

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Magulu a nkhondo a Russia akulinga ku East Prussia, mu 1944

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Sovfoto

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Mbale wanga Heinz, mlongo wanga Erika, Amayi, abale anga Herbert ndi Werner, ndi ineyo kutsogolo

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Ineyo ndi mkazi wanga, Melva

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Mphika wonga uwu, wodzaza mafuta, unatisunga amoyo